Interpreter Training in the Western Armed Forces PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2. Overview. This presentation looks at:The post cold-war political scene and its impact on structure, interaction and deployment of Western armed forcesThe implications to role of interpreting for armed forces, and hence training needs Compares against frameworks for professional assessmentConcludes with concepts of interpreter training for the armed forces.

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Interpreter Training in the Western Armed Forces

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5. 5 Background: the cold-war era 1945-1985 Interpreting needs relatively stable
Throughout the cold war, Western armed forces were developed and deployed with the notion of
NATO vs. Warsaw Pact
High intensity, short conflict in Europe
No ultimate winner (nuclear war)
Western armed forces interpreting focused on
Remote monitoring of Warsaw Pact (mainly Russian)
Pre-conflict intelligence
Internal management
NATO was never deployed

6. 6 Cold-war era was not conflict free Third party conflicts in Africa, Asia, Middle East, South America
“observers” sent by each side (limited commitment & hence language needs requirement)
No direct intervention helped maintain East-West balance of power
(exceptions: US intervention in Vietnam, Soviet intervention in Afghanistan)
UN played a limited but important peace-keeping role
Frequently led by third-party commands

7. 7 Collapse of Soviet influence in late 80s and early 90s Rapid changes led to much initial uncertainty
Soviet internal reform (from 1985)
Fall of Berlin wall (1989)
Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan (1989)
Dissolution of Warsaw Pact (1991)
Western Armed Forces faced rapid change in security risks in a very short period of time

22. 22 Conclusions: emergent model of interpreter training Existing models/methods of Western Armed forces are suited to peace time but not 21st Century
Predictive models for force generation and scenario deployments should also be applied to language needs assessment at an alliance level
National force generation reviewed to assess gaps
“Notice to Move” impact on interpreters
Within theatre recruitment
Assessment of task assignments and interpreting modes